A Celebration of Life for Sherry will be Wednesday, September 30, 2015 beginning at 12 Noon from the Chapel of the Taylor Funeral Home. Place of rest will be in Kilgore-Hansen Cemetery located on the Kilgore Family Farm in Charlotte,TN. Visitation will be on Tuesday, September 29, 2015 from 4 :00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. and on Wednesday beginning at 10 a.m. until time of service.
Pallbearers will be Jon Hansen Kilgore, Kent Duane Kilgore, Kelly Garner, Henry Beeler, Bubba Gant, Levi Kilgore, Luke Fielder, Chris Clark, and Honorary-In-Spirit, Cole Hansen Kilgore.
Remembrances may be given in lieu of flowers to The Tennessean Preservation Trust, The Dickson County Historical & Genealogical Society or to The Tennessee Historical Commission Endowment Trust.
Sherry, age 77, of Charlotte,TN died suddenly September 24, 2015 in Vanderbilt Medical Center.
Survived by husband of 47 years, Ronald W. Kilgore, sons and daughter-in-law Jon Hansen and Dawn Kilgore, Kent Duane Kilgore all of New Braunfels, Texas; daughters and sons-in-law Lori L. Kilgore and Chris Clark of Tennessee City, TN, Kathleen C. Kilgore and Henry Beeler of Dickson,TN and Katrina C. Kilgore and Thomas W. Gant of Tennessee Ridge,TN, grandchildren Levi Scott Kilgore, Timothy Luke Fielder, Ariel Sherry Kilgore, Tanis Michele Kilgore, Jessie Lane Clark, Lindsey Marie LaRose, Mariah Grace Kilgore, Ronald Warren Gant, Josey Faith Gant and Isabella May Gant; five great grandchilden ,sisters and brothers-in-law Lynne L. and Len L. Wilson of Andrews, Texas; Leslie J. Cox of North Biloxi, Mississippi and Wendy E. and Garland L. Burch of San Antonio,Texas and her beloved "mini pinscher" Crickett.
She was preceded in death by her parents Richard P. Hansen of San Benito,Texas and Eleanor B. Sanderson Hansen Longendyke of San Antonio,Texas and her cherished grandson, Cole Hansen Kilgore.
Born in the year 1938 in Chicago, Illinois and moved with her parents to San Benito, Texas when only 10 months old, she graduated from San Benito High School in 1956, from Texas Woman's University (T.W.U.) in 1960 with a BS degree in Art/Interior Design and Sociology in Denton,Texas and from Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) in 1981 with a MS degree in History and Historic Preservation. In 1959, she represented T.W.U. in the Cotton Ball at Texas A & M University in College Station,Texas.
From 1961 and 1982, she taught school at various times in Pennsylvania, Texas, South Carolina and Tennessee. Her last teaching position was at Charlotte Elementary School in the Resource Program from 1977 to 1982. In 1985 she was employed by the Tennessee Historical Commission (T.H.C.) where she worked with state and non-state owned historic sites throughout Tennessee and in 2010 was appointed by Governor Phil Bredesen to serve on the T.H.C. Board of Directors. In 1995 she worked for the Department of Environment and Conservation, Division of Natural Heritage until she retired in October 2004. She served on the Charlotte City Council and as Recording Secretary for the Charlotte Planning Commission from 1997 until 2009. In 2004 she also served as the Charlotte Bicentennial Celebration Chair; in 1996 Chaired the Tennessee Bicentennial, Dickson County; was an Associate member of the Charlotte Lions Club, 2000 to present; Tennessee Homecoming '86 Chair for the City of Charlotte, 1985-86; a volunteer at the Tennessee State Library and Archives in 1983-84; a member of Dickson County Historical Society 1977 to present; Vice President (2007--2009) President (2010-2012). She also served on the Board of Directors and Executive Committee for the Clement Railroad Hotel Museum (Halbrook Hotel) 2009-2013 and was also the Chair for the Collections committee, Restoration Committee and Project Coordinator for Old Jailer's House Restoration 1984; a graduate of Leadership Dickson County 1994; Nashville Chapter A.P.T.A., Recording Secretary and Chairman of Restoration, 1977-1981; Association for the Preservation of Tennessee Antiquities (state organization) Recording Secretary and Chairman of Restoration, 1976-1981; Belle Meade Mansion Board of Directors, Recording Secretary and Tour Guide 1977-1988, and Historic Charleston Tour Guide, 1972- 1976. She was an Honorary member of the National Social Sciences Honor Society, a member of the Tennessee Preservation Trust; the Association for Preservation Technology, the Construction Specifications Institute (C.S.I.) Nashville Chapter, the American Association for State and Local History, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the Tennessee Association of Museums, the Tennessee Historical Society; the Dickson County Historical Society, Vice President 1979 and 2009-10; a docent at The Hermitage, Home of Andrew Jackson and President of the Vanderbilt Law Wives, 1970-71.
She developed a "Dickson County Historic Overview" for the Dickson County Chamber of Commerce and conducted the History Tour of Dickson County 1993-98, researched and compiled the "Halbrook Historic Site," planning document for State Architect's "The Dickson County Marriage Records, 1817-1856 from original documents Bryon Sistler, Publisher, Nashville, developed a Dickson County "Cemetery Study Unit" and an "Itty Bitty City Tour" for Charlotte, TN an architectural study unit for Charlotte Elementary School classes. Developed a planning document for "A Local History Museum for Dickson County" for the Dickson County Historical Society for the Cumberland Furnace Iron Museum and written numerous articles on the history of Charlotte and historic sites in Dickson County. She has also served on the Tourism Committee and the Educational Committee for the Dickson County Chamber of Commerce. In 2006 she contributed a number of articles in "The Heritage of Dickson County, Tennessee, 1803-2006.
In 1977, the Kilgore's purchased the old Willie Van Raymond farm on Highway 49 West, part of a tract of land originally settled by John Nesbitt in 1799. In addition to her love from the preservation of historic sites, she was an advocate for conserving the environment and wildlife habitat.